JanArtsNYC 2026 Announced

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) is proud to announce the full slate of programming for JanArtsNYC, the annual collection of world-class public performances and innovative industry gatherings taking place throughout the month of January at various NYC venues. For 13 years, JanArtsNYC has helped position January as “Performing Arts Month” in NYC, where the world’s best come annually to premiere the newest works in theater, dance, opera, music and performance. Kicking off on January 3, 2026, with the opening night of the Out-FRONT Festival, JanArtsNYC once again centers around the APAP|NYC Conference, January 9-13, and leverages the global audience drawn to NYC every year to shine a spotlight on this city’s performing arts community. To join the conversation, please follow the #JanArtsNYC hashtag on social media.

“We are so proud to once again present JanArtsNYC, a collection of best-in-class live performance events taking place this January throughout our beloved city,” said Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner, Pat Swinney Kaufman. “For 13 years, JanArtsNYC has helped position January as “Performing Arts Month” in NYC, where the world’s best come annually to premiere a vast unfolding of the newest works in theater, dance, opera, music and performance, centered around the annual APAP|NYC Conference.”

This year, MOME and APAP are proud to present a short film that celebrates the coalition of exciting and distinctive festivals, convenings and events that fall under the JanArtsNYC umbrella. Produced by filmmaker AJ Wilhelm and Jenny Thomas for APAP, the film features partner and audience interviews, meant to showcase the exceptional and unique array of talent available for all to experience in NYC in January. The film is available here.

Together with event partners, MOME welcomes back to NYC the more than 45,000 performing arts leaders, artists and enthusiasts from across the globe to participate in and enjoy the following events (listed in chronological order):

Out-Front! Festival –January 3-11

A high-visibility platform for radical choreographers and performing artists whose rigorous, playful, and fabulously outrageous creative practices speak to our community in new, unexpected, and beautiful ways, centering on LGBTQ+ and feminist emerging voices.

“We created the Out-FRONT! Fest. as a high-visibility platform for radical choreographers and performing artists whose rigorous, playful, and fabulously outrageous creative practices speak to our community in new, unexpected, and beautiful ways,” said Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte. “We remain dedicated to making the invisible visible. We champion art for and by underrepresented LGBTQ+ and feminist artists. The spirit that initially brought us together continues to be our guiding force. Now, more than ever, we are committed to fostering cross-cultural connections that can endure these uncertain times and encourage us to emphasize empathy as a vital and spiritual necessity.” – Gian Marco Riccardo Lo Forte, Artistic Director, Out FRONT! Festival

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz Congress and Unity Festival –January 7-9

Experience the pinnacle of jazz culture at these two events, blending intellectual discourse and vibrant performances, geared to expanding the audience for jazz.

Live Artery|New York Live Arts –January 7-17

The dynamic festival is one of NYC’s most attended dance-specific platforms during the annual conference season, featuring resident commissioned artists and curated guests of New York Live Arts, which is led by visionary artist Bill T. Jones.

“In this moment of uncertainty, Live Arts remains firing on all cylinders. The Live Artery festival underscores our collaboration with boundary pushing artists and advocating for their vision. At this very important meeting of artists and presenters, we fortify a creative future by expanding partnerships and serving our community at various stages of their careers.” – Bill T. Jones, Artistic Director, New York Live Arts/Live Artery

PROTOTYPE –January 7-18

An annual festival produced by Beth Morrison Projects, a trailblazer in the creation and presentation of contemporary, multi-disciplinary opera-theatre and music-theatre works. The visionary festival is the only one of its kind in New York City and a model now emulated around the country — producing and presenting a wide spectrum of works, from intimate black-box experiences to larger chamber opera productions, to concerts, and more.

“I couldn’t be more excited to share PROTOTYPE 2026, which will feature our cornerstone 20th Anniversary project, the BMP: SONGBOOK, as well as two world premieres, the NYC premieres of two expansive BMP productions, and some phenomenal collaborations both new and old. The future of opera looks bright!” – Beth Morrison, Artistic and Co-Founding Director, PROTOTYPE Festival

Under the Radar Festival, January 7-25

The United States’ premier festival of experimental theater and performance art, UTR has been bringing bold, risk-taking work to NYC for over two decades, and celebrating groundbreaking theater and performance from around the world and just down the street.

“That JanArtsNYC can happen during this challenging time for the arts is a New Year’s miracle! New York becomes Festival City. If you are a true New Yorker, you will be seeing a JanArtsNYC event in January, because that is the New York City we need.” – Mark Russell, Founder and Festival Director, Under the Radar Festival

NYC Winter Jazzfest –January 8-13

Celebrating 22 years, NYC Winter Jazzfest is proud to reaffirm its commitment to nurturing community and free expression through live music, with themes that center on the joy and beauty of gathering together while celebrating the tradition and future of Black American music.

“Winter Jazzfest 2026 is a joyful affirmation of who we are and why we come together. Still We Rise. Still We Gather. Still We Dance. Still We Play. Still We Sing. In the heart of APAP and all this city has to offer, we bring artists, audiences, and industry together to celebrate resistance, community, and the relentless creativity that defines New York. This year’s festival invites everyone—onstage and off—to move, listen, and lift each other up.” — Brice Rosenbloom, Founder/Producer, Winter Jazzfest

PhysFestNYC –January 8-18

A community-led festival that celebrates, enriches, and envisions the field of physical theater, and provides space for practitioners, audiences, and the physical-theater-curious to share in presented works, diverse workshop offerings, and community-building events.

“Ten days of 35-seat houses and 15-person workshops make PhysFestNYC the perfect place to fall in love with a new artist. Our festival aims to unsilo the movement-based makers that inspire our city year-round, yet often fall outside of the boundaries of typical theater or dance forms. It is a remarkable thing to witness Bill Irwin doing a hat trick in one theater, and down the hall see Chrybaby Cozie do the same hat trick in his Litefeet performance. What does this tell us about clown and street dance? About traditional forms in contemporary spaces? About the timelessness of physical spectacle? We are honored to fill the halls at Stella Adler with back-to-back programs that are each in dialogue; a microcosm of the inter-genre celebration that is JanArts.” – Becky Baumwoll, Co-Executive Producer PhysFestNYC

APAP|NYC Conference –January 9-13

The world’s premier gathering of the performing arts presenting, booking, and touring industry and the annual members conference of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Called “the spawning ground for the world-wide music and performing arts industries” by the Wall Street Journal, the APAP conference has been the gravitational hub for the JanArtsNYC festivals and convenings for decades. Attracting artists, agents, managers, producers, presenters and more from across North America and beyond, APAP|NYC is the singular hub to discover artists, connect with colleagues, secure booking opportunities, and chart the industry’s collective future. With showcases, networking, strategy sessions, and the world’s largest EXPO of its kind, APAP|NYC fuels the performing arts.

“For more than five decades, APAP has convened the global performing arts touring industry in New York and continues to nurture the soil from which our remarkable festival partners grow. Live performance has a powerful way of bringing us together—to inspire, to restore, and to remind us why creativity matters. Each year, JanArtsNYC shines a light on that spirit, capturing the imagination and energy of our field. And with New York as our stage, we’re not only celebrating the arts—we’re showing how this gathering helps communities everywhere flourish: strengthening connection, fueling local economies, and uplifting the shared humanity that unites us all.” — Lisa Richards Toney, President and CEO, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)

globalFEST Annual Wavelengths Concert –January 9

An annual gathering of a wide array of arts professionals, including artists, arts organizations, venues, agents, managers, media, funders, activists, and others that are part of the global music community. The conference creates a space for dialogue around critical issues facing the field and operates as a hub for networking. It is also a friendly and generous resource for those looking at career development, exploring new touring projects and booking opportunities.

“globalFEST is about more than music. It’s about bringing diverse communities together for a celebration of creativity, resilience, and stories from around the world. At a time when connection across borders feels more important than ever, this year’s lineup reflects the joy and binding power of our distinct musical heritage and experiences. We can’t wait for audiences to take part in this full-theater takeover at David Geffen Hall, where every corner of the building will come alive with the sounds of the world.” – Bill Bragin, Isabel Soffer, and Shanta Thake, Co-founders, globalFEST

Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival –January 9-13

Gather round inside Guggenheim New York and celebrate NYC’s extraordinary club, street, social, and concert dance traditions, all supported from studio-to-stage with fully-funded Works & Process creative residencies.

“The magic is in the process. We are letting everyone in on the secret. Experience a blend of performance, artist discussion, and the chance to continue the conversation with post performance receptions and dance parties. Centering artists and their process every Underground Uptown Dance Festival project will be supported with fully-funded creative residencies providing housing, 24/7 studio space, and industry leading fees.” – Duke Dang, Executive Director, Works & Process

globalFEST, January 11

The annual festival, which has been promoting the world’s greatest musical traditions for over 20 years, features an eclectic array of musical discoveries from today’s hottest international sounds to styles born and bred in the U.S.

International Society for the Performing Arts’ (ISPA) 2026 New York Congress –January 13-15

Welcoming 500 arts leaders from 50 regions will connect, reflect, and share perspectives in the spirit of Resilience: A Global Dialogue.

“Challenges test and strengthen our collective resilience, and as a global network, ISPA provides a unique platform to share ideas and strategies that develop and sustain international collaboration and creative partnerships. This January, we are excited to welcome over 400 delegates from around the world to the Times Center  for a convening that will inspire dialogue, foster connections, and explore how we can thrive together in an ever-changing world.” – David Baile, Chief Executive Officer, ISPA | International Society for the Performing Arts

For more information about JanArtsNYC, visit their website.

Main Image: JanArtsNYC - Live Artery|New York Live Arts: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company "Collage Revisited" (1988, 2025). Photo by Theo Cote (Courtesy Kaatsbaan).